March 8, 2017

Blu-Ray Review: SOLACE

This
one has an interesting history. An early version of the screenplay
was once being groomed as a sequel to Se7en. Fortunately,
someone wisely concluded Se7en was one of the last movies that
ever needed a sequel, much less one featuring cops & killers with
psychic abilities.

It's
a decent premise, though, which eventually evolved into Solace.
Anthony Hopkins plays John Clancy, a clairvoyant who's become a
recluse since the death of his daughter to cancer. He reluctantly
agrees to aid his friend, FBI agent Joe Merriweather (Jeffrey Dean
Morgan), track down a serial killer. Clancy figures out that the one
thing the victims have in common is they are all terminally ill, including
a young boy whose brain tumor hadn't yet been discovered. This means
the killer is psychic as well, with even stronger abilities. Since he
can anticipate the FBI's every move well in advance, he's always
several steps ahead of them, and develops a particular interest in Clancy.

"Well, someone stole the cookies from the cookie jar."

Solace
is one of those movies that, while not bad, should have been much
better. What could have been a solid cat & mouse thriller starts
off well enough, with good performances (Hopkins & Morgan in
particular) and interesting visual flourishes when depicting Clancy's
'visions.' However, once the killer, Charles Ambrose (Colin Farrell),
meets Clancy in a bar and shares his motives, any sense of menace
dissipates and the tension begins to unravel. This is when the battle
of wits between these two should be shifting into high gear, not
descending into a moral debate.

I
also found myself thinking Hopkins & Farrell's roles should have
been reversed. Sure, Hopkins playing another serial killer wouldn't
be the most creative casting decision, but you have to admit it'd be
more fun. And if, as the killer, he
was still forced to helplessly watch as his daughter dies, his motives
would carry more weight.

But
as it is, Solace is a decent enough way to spend an evening,
stylish and efficient, but ultimately forgettable. Too bad,
really...with a premise and cast like that, with some narrative
tweaks, this could have been something really special.

The Doll

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About D.M. Anderson

D.M. Anderson works and lives in Portland Oregon. He is the author of two young adult novels (Killer Cows & Shaken) and a collection of dark tales (With the Wicked). He has also published several short stories which have appeared (or will appear) in various anthologies and magazines such as 69 Flavors of Paranoia, Night Terrors, Trembles, Encounters, Implosion, Strange Fucking Stories, Perpetual Motion Machine. He documents his adventures in the dark onon his movie site, Free Kittens Movie Guide.